Hello and Happy End-of-Summer to all who celebrate.
(It’s me. I celebrate- long live fall & winter! ❄️🍁)

Technically it’s only August, but it’s practically September which brings the first day of fall and by that logic we’re in the -ember months (a.k.a. the last and best quarter of the year) so it’s essentially pumpkin season.

I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them.

Alright, back to the books.

I have 6 books & 6 short stories to review today, and more than one are 5-star reviews!

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
★★★★★ out of 5 | Fiction

Why I Read It: A friend recommended this book to me so I obviously added it to my library holds list immediately.

What I Thought: I wasn’t sure what to expect- I’ve never read a fictionalized story about Jesus before. I wouldn’t call this a light read or an easy read, but it was such a unique perspective. Seeing Jesus through the eyes of someone who loved him but also had to share him with the world… There were certainly people like that in his life, even if it wasn’t a wife-figure. It was a story of a strong man who drew that strength from an even stronger woman.

Buy it HERE

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The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, From the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
★★★★★ out of 5 | Nonfiction

Why I Read It: I love Sharon- if you don’t follow America’s Government Teacher on IG, you should! (Sharon Says So)

What I Thought: I knew I would love Sharon’s first book, but I also learned SO much. The shorter stories made the book very digestible, but she was also able to tie many stories, lessons, and moments in history to one another. I wish more of these incredible Americans showed up in our classroom curriculum!

But it HERE

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The Mistake [Off-Campus #2] by Elle Kennedy
★★★★ out of 5 | Romance

Why I Read It: I read the first in the series because the show caught my eye. It was pretty good so I kept reading ❤️‍🔥

What I Thought: I really liked how this story didn’t follow the typical romance-novel-pace. Grace and Logan were both flawed but likable characters. It was kind of forgettable, but still an enjoyable (HEA) romance.

Buy it HERE

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The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances Collection (Amazon Prime Original Stories)
These were cute and light. I was a little generous with my ratings, but if the romantic banter gave me warm fuzzies then I think it did its job. *the last two on the list have mentions of violence and/or domestic abuse

• Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren ★★★★★/5
• Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonham-Young ★★★★/5
• Second Act Romance by Julie Soto ★★★/5
• A Play for Love by Trilina Pucci ★★★★/5
• Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles ★★/5
• Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen ★★★★★/5

Find them HERE

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The Score [Off-Campus #3] by Elle Kennedy
★★★★★ out of 5 | Romance

Why I Read It: It was next in the series.

What I Thought: I think Dean and Allie are my favorites thus far. I love her confidence and the way she controlled the reins on the romance. I also appreciated how real Dean’s character was… His struggles were necessary to his character development and I appreciated so much about how their relationship evolved. Plus it was 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 😉

Buy it HERE

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The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
★★★★★ out of 5 | Historical Fiction

Why I Read It: I don’t remember how or when this ended up on my TBR list, but I loved CBK’s Orphan Train. For whatever reason I decided to get this one from the library and give it a shot.

What I Thought: I loved this so much… It was heartbreaking and infuriating and enlightening and hopeful… My favorite thing about historical fiction is how it can put you in the shoes of people who really existed. Being in the shoes of a wrongly accused female convict in 1800s Australia was intense.

“This is why we can’t leave the making of laws to men. They result in travesties of injustice that unfairly burden the poor. And women. Those high and mighty aristocrats, in their black robes and powdered wigs—they have no idea.”

Buy it HERE

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The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
★★★★★ out of 5 | Historical Fiction

Why I Read It: A friend suggested it for our book club.

What I Thought: Another historical fiction that stole my heart, ripped it in half, put it back together, and then repeated 2 or 3 more times. Also my first Kristin Hannah 🫣 It was SO good. The themes of motherhood, the American Dream, the choice to stay or leave… I learned so much about the Dust Bowl that I didn’t know and I literally smothered my daughter with hugs once I finished the last page.

Buy it HERE

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I had a real affinity for book titles that start with “the” this past quarter 😆 Also, I don’t know that I’ve ever had so many 5-star reads. I just really enjoyed the books I’ve read lately. Fingers crossed this trend continues!

What are you reading?

-Aud